


Getting Acquainted

by PadawanRyan



Category: Jonas Brothers
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Universe - High School, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Incest, M/M, Marriage, Running Away, Step-Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2009-03-22
Updated: 2009-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:59:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23927998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PadawanRyan/pseuds/PadawanRyan
Summary: Nick's mom is getting married, which means he gets a new step-brother in Robert's son. Joe Mitchel, however, is an absolute jerk and Nick does not want to get along with him, no matter how much their parents beg them. It doesn't help that Joe is attractive.
Relationships: Denise Jonas/Original Male Character, Joe Jonas/Nick Jonas
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

“Mom, why do I have to go?”  
  
“I want you to get to know them, honey.”  
  
Groaning, I slipped my shoes on, and knelt down to tie them. No matter what my mom said, I didn’t want to go meet her _boyfriend_ and his son. I wasn’t interested in my mom dating at all, it’s like she’s trying to replace my dad. On the other hand, dad said that it’s natural that she moves on now, and that he will move on eventually too, but I still wasn’t pleased with the idea. As I stood, I glared at my mother, while grabbing my coat.  
  
“I don’t want to get to know them.”  
  
“Oh Nick, calm down. You know I really like Robert, I thought it was about time you met him.”  
  
“Why doesn’t Kevin have to come?”  
  
“Kevin’s at school, honey. He doesn’t have the time to come.”  
  
No time? My older brother Kevin may have been in college, but that didn’t mean he doesn’t have time. He was really serious about his studies, though, so I could understand why he wouldn’t want to get pried away from school. God knows mom tried, though, but Kevin’s her favourite and she accepted that he wouldn’t come. She slipped on her coat, and opened up the front door, me following behind while mumbling angrily.  
  
“Nick, don’t make me have to warn you about being polite.”  
  
She always ‘warns’ me about being polite, but quite honestly, I couldn’t help some of the things I would say to people. I was a painfully honest kid, and would say exactly what I was thinking. Mom would often get angry, though, and since I was stuck living with her, sometimes I figured that I might as well listen to her. That didn’t mean I’d be polite, exactly, it just meant that I would refrain from speaking as much.  
  
“Fine, mom.”  
  
“Thank you, honey. This is very important to me.”  
  
Why it was very important to her was something I didn’t know, but at the time, it didn’t matter much to me anyway. I climbed into the passenger seat of our old car, and she climbed into the driver’s seat, starting up. The entire ride over was silent, and I just stared out the window the whole way. Mom and I didn’t live in a very wealthy part of town, but it appeared that where we were driving to was. When mom parked the car, I just stayed in spot.  
  
“Hurry up, Nicholas! Get out of the car!”  
  
Her angry voice was evident, and without saying it, I could tell she was giving me a warning. I huffed, and opened the door, exiting the car. I stuck my hands in the pockets of my jeans and held my head low, grumbling nonsense as I followed my mom up the path to this huge house. She rang the bell and we waited a moment, before a man answered the door. I could tell this had to be Robert, his face just lit up when he saw mom.  
  
“Denise! We’ve been expecting you.”  
  
The two of them embraced, and kissed for a moment. I felt like gagging and looked away. Honestly, I’m a brat, and I can admit that. I made a choking sound while pretending to stick my finger in my throat, but mom smacked my arm, so I just gave a fake smile and waved to Robert. He held the door open to let in mom and me, and I just took in the house as we entered. It was definitely three times the size of our apartment, if not more.  
  
“This must be Nicholas, am I right?”  
  
“It’s Nick,” I snapped.  
  
“Sorry, Nick. I didn’t mean to offend you.”  
  
Seeing the glare mom was giving me, I muttered, “Uh…sorry, no, you didn’t.”  
  
“Well, I guess it’s all good then, right?”  
  
I shrugged, because I really didn’t care if it was ‘all good’. We took off our coats, and Robert took them over to a closet for us. I felt underdressed for the location, but it didn’t bother me much. I liked to wear my skinny jeans basically everywhere, and who cares that I chose that day to wear a basic T-shirt instead of a dress shirt? Robert then led us into another room, the living room, which was huge, as I assumed it would be.  
  
“Is Joseph around?” mom asked.  
  
“Oh, he’ll be down in a minute. I think he’s working on something.”  
  
“That’s why Kevin’s not here, he has school work to do.”  
  
“Oh, Joe probably isn’t doing school work. The kid is nineteen years old and still in the eleventh grade, I’m afraid. He should have graduated last year, but no, he’s too lazy.”  
  
“That’s a shame. That means he’s only a year ahead of Nick.”  
  
“It’s too bad they don’t go to the same school, then they would have already met. Do you want to meet him, Nick?”  
  
Again, I shrugged. How was I supposed to know? I didn’t even know their last name, because I’ve usually drowned out mom’s talking when it’s about Robert. I knew a couple Joe’s at school, but most of them were bullies. Nobody picked on me in specific, but that didn’t mean I hadn’t bee a target a few times. I figured, though, that not all Joes would behave the same Finally sitting across from mom and Robert, I twiddled my fingers together, feeling bored.  
  
“JOSEPH! Get down here!”  
  
Robert could yell pretty loud, and it somewhat reminded me of mom when she wants me. Damn, they were basically perfect for each other. Moments later I heard footsteps on the stairs, and soon enough, a head poked through to the living room. My head snapped up instantly, and I took in his appearing. Joe must have been a total heartbreaker, because he was gorgeous. Yes, I’m gay, but it wasn’t something that was really out there.  
  
“Whaddya want, dad?”  
  
“Joe, come sit with us. This is my girlfriend, Denise, and her son, Nick.”

-  
  
“Dad, I’m busy!”  
  
“Joseph, you’re going to come sit with us whether you like it or not, okay?”  
  
It reminded me so much of myself as he slung himself through, grumbling, and sat on the couch beside me. He wasn’t paying any attention to me, but I was definitely taking a good look at him. I could tell he wouldn’t be much taller than me if we stood together, but he was definitely a little thinner. That didn’t matter much, though. His hair was wavy and dark, and I couldn’t help but want him then and there.  
  
“Nick, say hi to Joe.”  
  
I turned to him and gave a small wave, “Hi, I’m Nick.”  
  
“Joe,” was his simple reply.  
  
Noticing the slight tension in the room, Robert then stood, “I’m going to check on dinner. Denise, would you like to help me?”  
  
“Of course I would.”  
  
The two parents were out of the room sooner than soon, and I leaned back against the couch. That wasn’t my idea of fun, just sitting around in basically a stranger’s home. I turned my head slightly, to see Joe looking away, but looking somewhat annoyed and incredibly bored. My eyes trailed down his body again, and I noticed that he was wearing skinny jeans too. It seemed that we didn’t have entirely different tastes in clothing.  
  
“What are you doing?”  
  
I looked up instantly, blushing, “Oh, nothing!”  
  
“Hey,” he began, suddenly smirking, “You were checking me out, weren’t you?”  
  
“Uh…no, not at all.”  
  
“Of course you were. Why wouldn’t you?”  
  
My momentary lapse of judgement where I assumed we could be friends? Yeah, that was gone. He was much too arrogant, and those type of people drive me insane. I mean, he was definitely hot, but he wasn’t the least bit modest about it. I bit my lip and turned away, thinking of something else I could do to pass the time. I was pulled out of my thoughts, though, when he spoke up again.  
  
“How old are you?”  
  
I couldn’t help but feel aggravated, “Look, Joe, I don’t like this any more than you do.”  
  
“Chill, kid! I was just asking your age.”  
  
“Sixteen, but I doubt that really matters at the moment.”  
  
“Calm down, it’s not like I’m gonna rape you.”  
  
I rolled my eyes, and stood up. I didn’t know where the kitchen was, but I was set on finding it, and telling my mom that I wanted to go home. After a couple minutes, I opened the door where I heard mom, but instantly shut it. Inside the kitchen, she and Robert were basically going at it. Okay, not sex, not even close, but he was kissing her neck and she was giggling. I felt my stomach plummet, and I knew that we weren’t going home anytime soon.


	2. Chapter 2

“So Nick, was he hot?”  
  
I shrugged, like I was going to tell Ryan whether Joe was hot or not. I was telling him about my weekend, and the ‘dinner’ Saturday night. After the brief conversation Joe and I had, we hadn’t spoken again for the rest of the night. He gave me some glances at points, smirks and raised eyebrows, but I ignored him. Although Ryan was my best friend, and knew that I’m gay, I didn’t want to tell him how attracted I was to the nineteen year old.  
  
“I dunno, man. I didn’t pay too much attention to him.”  
  
“Oh, come on, Nick. I know you better than that.”  
  
“Seriously. If you wanna know, look him up on Facebook or something.”  
  
Closing my locker door, Ryan and I began to head off toward our science class. I really dislike science, but I was glad that my best friend was in my class, so that way, I had at least some incentive to go. Ryan was good at science, too, so often he’d do my work for me if not help. Looking over at my friend, he looked thoughtful, and I knew he was seriously considering looking up Joe on Facebook.  
  
“I was just kidding, dude.”  
  
“Lesson number one, Nick...you never kid with Ryan Evans.” ( **A/N: yes, Ryan Evans. I couldn’t help it, I needed somebody who looked pretty obviously gay, haha** )  
  
“Oh, and you’re supposed to kid with Nick Jonas?”  
  
“It makes life a little more fun.”  
  
“Why do you think I do it with you?”  
  
“Boredom?”  
  
I laughed as we entered the classroom. People would always look at us weirdly, no matter where we went, likely wondering how we were even friends. I mean, I dressed in jeans and T-shirts, and I play basically every instrument out there. Ryan, on the other hand, dresses in bright colours, loves to wear hats, and would rather sing and act than play an instrument. Secretly, though, I liked to sing too, but nobody knew about that.  
  
“Ryan,” I whispered, halfway through class, “Can you help me?”  
  
He looked over my work. Physics would be end, that was the only thing I could think. I mean, it’s physics! When would we ever need that in real life? Like I care how fast something is slowing down, or where on the map I’d be if I walked thirty miles East then twenty miles North. Making sure the teacher wasn’t looking, Ryan scrawled in the answers on my page. It was something we got used to, he’d write the answers, then I’d rewrite them in my own script.  
  
“You got it, Nick?”  
  
“Yeah, I think I’ve got it. Thanks buddy.”  
  
“You know, you look a little more spaced out than usual today. What’s up?”  
  
What was up? How about the fact that my mom was getting too seriously about a guy with a stupid and arrogant son? The whole ideal was still clear in my brain. Quite honestly, I wasn’t even sure why I was still thinking about it, but for some reason, I was. Everything, from how Robert was trying to make us feel comfortable but failing miserably, to the sexy way Joe looked when he smirked at me.  
  
“Nothing,” I said, then raising my hand. “Sir? Can I go to the bathroom?”  
  
My teacher nodded, and I ran out the door. I had some serious thinking to do, and somehow, I knew I wouldn’t be able to do that in class. Class was the hardest place for me to think, which was often why I needed so much help with my work. I hadn’t planned to go to the bathroom, though. I walked out one of the exit doors, and took a seat on a bench right outside. Closing my eyes, I attempted to listen to the wind and clear my head.  
  
“Isn’t there class to be attending right now?”  
  
“Yeah,” I didn’t care that I didn’t who I was talking to, “But I needed a break.”  
  
“Kid, you’re gonna get caught.”  
  
“Nope. Never do. Plus, the teachers love me anyway.”  
  
“Teachers’ pet?”  
  
“Nope. I’m just...”  
  
“A good kid?”  
  
“Are you fucking kidding me? My mother wants to send me away, I’m such a brat.”  
  
“Oh yes, because it’s so frightening to be a _brat_.”  
  
The voice was definitely familiar. It wasn’t something I heard everyday, but I could tell I knew the person from somewhere. Opening my eyes, I saw in front of me the nineteen year old beauty that had plagued my thoughts all weekend. My eyes opened wide, and he laughed, since my surprise was clearly evident in my face. Instantly, I stood up, and looked at him with a confused and shocked look on my face.  
  
“Joe? What are you doing here?”  
  
“My dad transferred me. He thought I would work harder in a new school or some shit.”  
  
“Why here, though?”  
  
“Your mom suggested it, said something about how well your brother did.”  
  
I rolled my eyes, it was just like mom to brag about Kevin. He’s perfect, I swear there’s not a bad bone in Kevin’s body. He’s twenty-one years old and still a virgin, likely. I was still a virgin, too, but that wasn’t something I planned. I can’t control it that nobody wants to fuck me senseless, or nobody wants me to fuck them. Joe then let out another laugh, clearly amused by my reaction to the Kevin comment.  
  
“So seriously, whatcha doing out here during class?”  
  
“Thinking. It’s too hard to with other people around.”  
  
“I’m around.”  
  
“Yes, and you’ve stopped my brain process. Thanks.”  
  
“It’s my pleasure.”  
  
I smiled and chuckled a bit, warming up a bit to the guy. Maybe I read him wrong, or perhaps he was just in a certain mood that night. It didn’t seem anymore like he was such a bad guy, and I figured that maybe we could be friends. A thought then dawned on me. He was giving me shit for skipping class, but what about him? Why wasn’t he in class? For a moment I got distracted my his infectious smile, but the thought quickly returned.  
  
“What about you, huh? Why aren’t you in class?”  
  
“Kid, my dad is still registering me. Right now. I told him I’d be right back.”  
  
“Could you stop calling me ‘kid’? I have a name, you know.”  
  
“Oh, sorry, _Nicholas_. I didn’t mean to offend you.”  
  
I glared at him, “It’s Nick.”  
  
“I’ll try not to forget that, then.”  
  
I then breathed out a moment, thinking a moment, before deciding to head back to class. Just as I turned to walk away, I felt a hand on my ass. It was momentary, but I turned around, shocked, giving Joe a questioning look. He shrugged with a falsely innocent look on his face, and I turned back to head inside. Why had he done that? Maybe he was just trying to get to me. Maybe the friends thing wouldn’t be a good idea.  
  
“Mr. Jonas? What took you so long?”  
  
The question had been asked as soon as I had entered my classroom. I faked an appalled tone, and asked him if he would be quick in the bathroom if it wasn’t a number one he was going for. The entire class erupted in laughter, and I sat beside Ryan, who knew all too well that I was lying. I didn’t tell him what was up, though, and as soon as the bell rang and we were in the hall, he pulled me aside.  
  
“What is it, Ryan?”  
  
“So why were you actually late?”  
  
“No reason.”  
  
“Come on, Nick. I know you better than that.”  
  
“Uh...I ran into Joe.”  
  
“Joe? As in Joe, your mommy’s boyfriend’s son? What’s he doing here?”  
  
“Being enrolled.”  
  
Although I could see the excitement in Ryan’s eyes, I couldn’t help but feel a little aggravated. He picked up on my mood through my body language, and knew well enough to leave me alone about the situation. As we walked down the hall, I couldn’t help but dread going to history, since Ryan wasn’t in my class. There wasn’t much reason to go, except to graduate. As I trekked down the hall, I did notice Joe, who cocked an eyebrow at me, but I ignored him.


	3. Chapter 3

“Mom, why do I have to go to another dinner? It’s pointless!”  
  
“Why is it so pointless? You’re getting to know people.”  
  
Not people I want to know. I actually had to bite back from saying that. The upside was that this dinner was out at a restaurant, we were all getting semi-dressed up, and Kevin would be coming as well. When I’d spoken to him, he seemed excited to meet Robert and Joe, so I told him I’d never speak to him again. Kevin, being himself, told me to lighten up, and that maybe things would go better for me that way.  
  
“I don’t like them, mom.”  
  
“You will eventually, honey.”  
  
“No, I won’t.”  
  
“You’re just not allowing yourself to like them.”  
  
That was partially true, and I knew it. I wasn’t about to admit it to mom, though. I didn’t want to like them just because I didn’t want to face the fact that mom was moving on. I wished that I had been able to go with dad, but the courts wouldn’t let us. It wasn’t that dad was a bad person, it was just that mom had a more stable job, and was able to support us better. Now it’s just me, even though Kevin lives at home, he’s barely around.  
  
“Come on Nick, let’s go before we’re running late.”  
  
I didn’t even bother with my coat that time, and just stalked out the door. We were dressed up this time, mom in a nice dress, and I was in a dress shirt with a tie. I had nothing against nice clothes, so I wasn’t quite too disturbed about that. As soon as I got down the stairs and out of the building, I ran to the car and seated myself, just waiting for mom. She came along slightly slower than I, smiling as she climbed in.  
  
“You’ll have a fun time tonight, honey. I promise.”  
  
“You shouldn’t promise what you can’t deliver.”  
  
She glared at me but started up the car anyway. If I was living with dad, I wouldn’t have this problem. It didn’t take too long to get to the restaurant, where I noticed Kevin already standing outside. I nearly jumped for joy until I saw who he was talking to. Damn, I had thought that maybe Robert and Joe would arrive later than us, so I could talk to my brother alone. He waved me over when I exited the vehicle.  
  
“Nick! Finally, you’re here!”  
  
“Hey Kev.”  
  
“I was just telling Joe a couple things about you.”  
  
“About me? What about me?”  
  
Paranoia was evident in my voice. Knowing my adult brother, he’d likely be talking about some of my most embarrassing moments. I mean, he’s walked in on some pretty bad stuff in the past, such as when I was pleasuring myself, or even my first time having sex. Mom never found out, but that perfect brother of mine never really forgot about it. Joe was smiling at me, and I figured there was a smirk just waiting to come out.  
  
“Not much, Nick, don’t worry.”  
  
“But you’re cute when you blush,” Joe added.  
  
“Careful, buddy. Nick’s gay, he might take that a different way.”  
  
If I was blushing before, it certainly got worse then. Kevin didn’t know that I wasn’t yet openly gay, so of course he wouldn’t know not to tell Joe. He could tell, though, when he saw how embarrassed I looked that he made a mistake. Joe was giving me a look I couldn’t quite understand, but he definitely seemed interested in the subject. I turned away, but just in time for mom to come along.  
  
“Dad’s inside,” Joe told her.  
  
She then led us all inside, and said we were with the Mitchel party. Yeah, that was Joe’s last name. A large circular table is where we were brought to, and Robert was already seated. Mom introduced him to Kevin, and they both seemed pleased to meet each other. I huffed, a little angry that nobody was on my side. For the first little while, Joe was ignoring me, but after a bit, I noticed him shooting me some looks.  
  
“Is there something you want, _Joseph_?”  
  
“No, and don’t call me that.”  
  
“Well, now you know how it feels.”  
  
Everyone seemed to be looking at us weirdly, so Joe excused us from the table, dragging me up and off with him. Turning back a moment, I could tell that mom was confused, but likely hoping that this was all going to turn out in a beautiful friendship. Joe led me to the fancy bathroom of the restaurant, letting go of me as soon as the door was closed. His face showed annoyance, and I couldn’t help but smile at the thought.  
  
“What’s your problem, Nick?”  
  
“ _My_ problem? It’s you who’s being such a jerk!”  
  
“What have I done tonight to make you think that?”  
  
“Not tonight, Joe. At school, and basically in every look you give me!”  
  
“Well, sorry if I think you’re good looking!”  
  
“If you think that then why – wait, what?”  
  
I barely had the chance to respond before Joe’s lips were on mine. I was so shocked, too shocked to respond at all. He grabbed my hips with his hands and pulled me closer, but it was at that moment that I finally came to my senses and realized what was going on. I pulled away from him, gasping for breath, not even looking at him for a moment, trying to get my head around what just happened.  
  
“What the Hell was that?”  
  
“A kiss, what do you think it was?”  
  
“Why did you kiss me?”  
  
“It’s it obvious? You want me, I can tell.”  
  
“I don’t want an arrogant asshole who does things without even asking permission!”  
  
With that, I opened up the bathroom doo and stormed out, angrier than I had been in the last little while. First my mom was trying to replace my dad, then an arrogant older guy tries to kiss me? Things were not going my way. Perhaps it wouldn’t have happened if Kevin hadn’t told Joe I’m gay. Making my way back to the table, annoyance was evident on my face, but nobody seemed comfortable asking about it.  
  
“You wanna talk?”  
  
I turned to my brother, “Later.”  
  
Joe returned moments later, looking a little flushed, and a little hurt, but the pain in his expression disappeared with a grin as he jumped straight into conversation. I attempted to ignore him throughout the rest of dinner, which Kevin quickly caught onto, so when we all parted ways, Kevin pulled me aside outside the restaurant. I was a little nervous about what to say, and he could tell, so he began.  
  
“Where did you and Joe go?”  
  
“Bathroom.”  
  
His eyes widened, “Bathroom? Please tell me you...”  
  
“No, Kev. At least I didn’t.”  
  
“He tried to do something to you?”  
  
“Yeah, but...I guess I had it coming. He’s right, I do want him...he’s attractive...”  
  
“No way, Nick. He’s too old for you.”  
  
I rolled my eyes and turned away from my brother. As much as I did enjoy talking to him, I should have expected him to tell me everything that’s wrong with the situation. Perfect Kevin would always have to mention age. Although, there was something pushing in the back of my mind, telling me not to listen, I wasn’t sure whether to go along with it. I was confused, and I did want him, just not when he was acting like a jerk.  
  
“I guess so...”  
  
“I’m sorry, Nick, but it’s the truth.”  
  
“I know, you’re right.”  
  
“He’s also practically your step-brother.”  
  
Not quite. Not unless mom and Robert decided to get married, but she hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort to me. Feeling a little bit depressed, I just walked off to the car, Kevin following silently behind me. Mom never bothered to ask me what was wrong as I climbed in, but gave a questioning look to Kevin, who shook his head in an attempt to tell her not to ask. The entire ride home, I couldn’t help but think about Joe.


	4. Chapter 4

“He kissed you? Nick, you’re pulling my leg, right?”  
  
What could I say? ‘Just kidding’? Ryan was never that stupid. He seemed extremely shocked that Joe had kissed me, and yes, I just had to tell him, but he also seemed a little happy. What, did Ryan want me to kiss Joe? I wasn’t about to answer that question, even mentally, because I knew exactly what the answer would be. Apparently Joe was in Ryan’s drama class, and he goes on about how hot the nineteen year old is.  
“I wish I were, Ry.”  
  
“Shit...Nick, that’s great! Are you guys like, a couple now?”  
  
“Nope. I ran out on him.”  
  
“What? Why on Earth did you do that?”  
  
“Because he was being a jackass about it, and I wasn’t gonna let that ruin my mood.”  
  
Well, I wasn’t about to let that make the mood worse, since it was somewhat already ruined. My ‘mood’ had been ruined since my mom came home months earlier and said she had a new boyfriend. My ‘mood’ had been ruined since mom forced me to meet Joe. My ‘mood’ has been ruined the second Joe’s lips had touched mine. Sighing, I grabbed Ryan’s pudding from him, knowing he wouldn’t care at all.  
  
“Go apologize to him, then you guys can get together.”  
  
“It’s not as simple as that.”  
  
“Sure it is you just don’t want to accept it is.”  
  
It seems people think there are too many things I haven’t been accepting. Mom said I couldn’t accept her moving on, Kevin said I couldn’t accept the fact that dating Joe would be wrong, and Ryan said that I couldn’t accept that winning Joe over would be easy. I groaned, and lowered my head down to the table below me, hitting it with a bang. It sounded painful, but I was too annoyed to care.  
  
“What’s wrong with little Nicky here?”  
  
I knew that voice, and my head shot up instantly. Seeing the creeping smile on Ryan’s face, I knew my assumptions were right. Turning slightly, I saw Joe standing behind me, smirking slightly. I swear, he must have been born with that smirk on his face. He looked from Ryan to me, especially once he saw me with the bewildered look on my face. It was just that I was shocked to see him there.  
  
“Nothing,” I replied much too quickly.  
  
“Then can I join you guys?”  
  
My mind was screaming no. I didn’t want him to sit there. I was still partially angry at him, but most of all, I was scared of what I may do to him if he was there too long. My body reacted to him immensely, and even throughout that kiss, I wanted to fuck him raw. Or perhaps I wanted him to fuck me. Regardless, I wanted to be in bed with him, no matter how much he annoyed the Hell out of me.  
  
Ryan smiled, “Sure, of course you can.”  
  
“So why was Nicky banging his head on the table? You know that kills brain cells, right?”  
  
“I guess that’s how you lost all of those.”  
  
“Chill, Nick! Calm down, I was joking.”  
  
“I wasn’t.”  
  
“You’re right, you really are a brat.”  
  
He didn’t know the half of it. Even though mom fought for custody of Kevin and me after the divorce, she didn’t want me around. It’s not that mom hated me, but I knew very well that I got on her nerves quite often. I wasn’t a terrible kid, just very rude and sarcastic, and there have been times where I stumbled in drunk at midnight and yelled at her about the divorce. I didn’t remember it, but Kevin had told me about it. Sensing tension, Ryan then spoke up.  
  
“You’re really hot, Joe.”  
  
“I know that, and I think Nicky does too.”  
  
“No, I don’t, and don’t call me Nicky!”  
  
“Don’t lie,” Ryan told me before turning back to Joe, “He thinks you’re hot.”  
  
I wanted right then to throw something at Ryan, and picked up the pudding coated spoon, doing just that. He didn’t seem to pleased that I had got chocolate pudding on the front of his yellow button-down shirt, and tossed the spoon back. What had begun from annoyance had become a fit of giggles between us, Joe sitting beside me, laughing at the scene. I was surprised when we stopped that I felt so relaxed.  
  
“So you think I’m hot, Nick?”  
  
“Um...maybe, I guess...”  
  
“Told you that you want me.”  
  
“I...uh...”  
  
“It’s okay, Nick. I want you too, you never let me say it that night.”  
  
I looked at him, and I wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not. He seemed sincere, but since I barely knew him, I knew I shouldn’t rely on looks. I glanced toward Ryan for a moment, who’s expression clearly urged me to give into Joe, but I was still feeling a little wary about the idea. Pulling my roast beef sandwich out of my bag, I took a bite out of it, thinking as I ate. I knew eyes were on me, but I needed to think first.  
  
“Nick?”  
  
“I’m sorry, Joe, but I barely know you. I don’t know that you’re not lying.”  
  
“Get to know me. You want to, so why not?”  
  
He made a very good point, I did want to get to know him. I’d only known him a short amount of time, and even though I felt sometimes like I hated him, I wanted to know him badly. I was a horny teenager, I’ll admit, and I wanted to get my hands in his pants. I blushed at this thought, but it obviously didn’t go unnoticed because Joe was smirking at me again. Ryan raised an eyebrow, probably knowing exactly what was on my mind.  
  
“I guess I could...”  
  
“Great! How about we go out on Saturday, to a movie, maybe?”  
  
“You mean like a _date_?”  
  
“Sure, if you want to call it that.”  
  
“Uh...yeah, I’ll go on a date with you...”  
  
Ryan grinned at me, “Now was that so hard?”  
  
“Shut up.”  
  
Lunch was nearly over, so we were forced to part ways. Ryan and I had photography to go to, and Joe had physical education. Luckily, our photography teacher told us today would be a field day, and handed us cameras to go around the halls and take pictures. Ryan knew what I was thinking, and as soon as we were handed our cameras, we dashed off toward the gym. Creaking the door open, we entered slowly.  
  
“There’s so many people in here. Where is he?”  
  
I shook my head, “I dunno.”  
  
We tried to stay along the wall by the door, so that we wouldn’t be kicked out. The rules were that we could take pictures of anything, as long as we didn’t disturb classes. Suddenly, I caught sight of Joe Mitchel, standing at the other side of the gym, stretching. He looked so good, incredibly sexy in tight shorts and a T-shirt. I could feel myself becoming aroused, and Ryan knew it, from the laughter I heard from him.  
  
“Stop drooling, Nick.”  
  
I watched then as Joe went from stretching to running, his hair flying around his head as he did so. Running around the gym, I knew that he’d sooner or later pass by us, so I backed up as far as I could against the wall. I didn’t want Joe to see me staring at him. Just as he came by us, I readied the camera, and snapped the picture. I could have sworn I saw him wink at me as I did, but perhaps I was seeing things, and would have to wait to develop the film to see.  
  
“You got what you needed?”  
  
“Yeah, Ry. I got it _perfectly_.”  
  
“So ready to go back to class? Or do you want to stare a little more?”  
  
I smacked him as we pushed through the gym door, and headed back to class. It was very annoying to have my hard on pressing against my jeans, and I seriously considered going to the bathroom to take care of it. It was becoming slightly painful, and Ryan picked up on my lack of comfort. It took him a moment before he realized what was going on, and looked at me with wide eyes, but a partial smile.  
  
“Go take care of that, Nick. I’ll cover for you.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Where are you off to tonight, honey?”  
  
“I’m going out mom, like...just hanging out with a friend.”  
  
Technically it was true. Although Joe and I had decided it was a date, we still were just friends. I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell mom it was Joe, though, because she knew I was gay, and perhaps she’d think something of it. Of course, she’d be right in her thoughts, but I didn’t want her to know that. I wasn’t necessarily dressed up, but I was wearing jeans, a T-shirt, my leather jacket, and a scarf in order to look great for him.  
  
“Where are you going?”  
  
“Uh...movies, I think.”  
  
“Which friend of yours is it? Is it Ryan?”  
  
“No, mom. It’s not Ryan.”  
  
Mom was somewhat against my sexuality, but never made any serious comments about it. She thought Ryan and I were going to get together, and she liked Ryan enough. If I was going to date any guy, she wanted it to be Ryan. He’s just my best friend, and I had never been attracted to him in any way. I could admit he was attractive, but he didn’t get me off the way Joe did, just by looking that way.  
  
“Do I know your friend?”  
  
“Uh...maybe...just please, get off my case. I need to go.”  
  
I didn’t even glance back at mom and I ran out the door and down the building stairs. Joe and I had agreed to meet at the movie theatre, so I jumped on the next bus that passed by, and spent half an hour getting there. As soon as I got off the bus, I saw him standing outside waiting for me, looking pretty damn well sexy. There was no other word to describe it. He saw me and walked over to meet me.  
  
“Hey Nick, you look...great.”  
  
“Thanks. You look pretty delicious yourself.”  
  
A part of me inside was jumping with pride, proud because I managed to make Joe blush. We were silent for a moment, and I had wanted to go forward and kiss him, but I held back, just because I didn’t want the date to go faster than it should. As much as I wanted to ‘jump his bones’, I wanted to get past the first date before doing that. He held out his arm, and I took it, and laughing inside, I walked in the theatre with him.  
  
“So, what movie do you want to see?”  
  
“I dunno, anything’s good with me.”  
  
“You sure?”  
  
I nodded, and Joe decided on _The Uninvited_. A horror movie always seemed to be the best for first dates, because when it gets too frightening, it gives you a reason to cuddle. I could see in Joe’s eyes that he was hoping he’d cuddle me, so it’s too bad horror movies never scared me. Oh well, maybe I’d pretend and cuddle to him anyway. We had time to kill before the movie, so we sat in the cinema and decided to talk.  
  
“So, Joe...how far have you gone?”  
  
“With a guy or a girl?”  
  
“Either, I suppose.”  
  
“All the way with guys, and...almost with a girl.”  
  
“Almost?”  
  
“I realized I was gay right before I was about to pound into her.”  
  
It was uncontrollable at that point, my laughter came out loudly. For a moment, I was afraid of offending Joe, but I noticed he was laughing too. It took a couple minutes for the two of us to calm down, and as I had, I leaned my head on his shoulder. Closing my eyes for a moment, I tried to compose myself again, and once I felt properly composed, I lifted my head back up and looked to the guy beside me.  
  
“How about you, Nick?”  
  
“Me what?”  
  
“How far have you gone?”  
  
“Almost all the way, with a guy, I’ve never been with a girl.”  
  
“How come almost?”  
  
“Kevin walked in on us as I was...uh...positioning myself. The moment was kinda ruined.”  
  
I felt a little embarrassed then. I mean, I was only sixteen, so it wasn’t too surprising that I was technically a virgin. Joe, on the other hand, regardless of his age, had gone farther than me and it somewhat made me feel insecure. I suppose the embarrassment was clear in my face, because Joe then grabbed my hand and squeezed it lightly, smiling to me nicely. It was the kindest he’d looked since we met.  
  
“It’s okay, Nick.”  
  
“I guess...”  
  
“It is,” he said, coming closer to whisper in my ear, “Because I want to be the first to take you.”  
  
The way he’d said it was so sensual, so sexual, that it immediately sent a vibe through my body. A good vibe, that is, and I felt myself becoming aroused quite quickly. He wanted to have sex with me! The feeling felt so good, that I was wanted, that my feeling was mutual with him, and I couldn’t help but return his smile. He nibbled my earlobe slightly before moving back and looking me in the face.  
  
“Can I?”  
  
“Can you what?”  
  
“Can I kiss you? I mean, last time you said something about permission...”  
  
“Oh! Forget about that, Joe. Just...fucking kiss me already.”  
  
That was all it took for his lips to attach themselves to mine. Nearly instantly, I felt his tongue against my lips, begging for entrance, and I willingly gave it to him. Our lips danced together for a while, I couldn’t tell how long since time was not important at the time, but eventually, we both needed to breathe. Pulling apart, all we could do was stare at each other a moment, before Joe’s other hand made it to my knee.  
  
“Nick, we really got off on the wrong foot.”  
  
“I know, Joe, and I’m sorry.”  
  
“Don’t you apologize. I’ve been an ass to you, I know.”  
  
“I’ve been pretty bad, too.”  
  
“I just want us to get along. I...think I like you, Nick. A lot. Age be damned, I would fuck you senseless right now if I could.”  
  
That was enough to lunge forward, placing my lips on his again. The hand he had on my knee was moved to my hip, and the one that had been holding my hand had let me go, and was now behind my head, holding it close to his. I was lost in him, and I didn’t feel I would ever return to reality, but the clearing of a throat caused us to pull back. Looking up, we noticed that more people were entering the cinema.  
  
“We’ll be alone another time, Nicky.”  
  
“Don’t call me Nicky.”  
  
“Why not? I think it’s cute.”  
  
“It just reminds me of a nickname a mother would give you, y’know?”  
  
“Fine, _Nick_.”  
  
Sticking out his tongue at me, Joe chuckled a bit. Underneath his arrogant exterior, he really was just a cute sweetheart. It didn’t matter to me that he was nineteen, that he was behind a couple years in school, or that his dad was dating my mom. All that mattered to me was that I liked him, and he liked me. As the movie began, we sat silently, and as I planned, I pretended to be scared and cuddled to him. When it was over, we left the cinema, holding hands.  
  
“Joe, does this mean...uh...are we...”  
  
“Are we a couple?”  
  
“Yeah, that’s what I wanted to know.”  
  
“Only if you want to be.”  
  
“Yes, Joe. I definitely want to be.”  
  
Sharing our third kiss for the night, but fourth in total, we had to part ways. Joe had his own car to drive, being older and much wealthier, and I was forced to take the bus. He had offered me a ride home, but I insisted that he bus was good enough. My stomach was doing flips, good flips, the entire ride home. As soon I got in, I ran straight to my room, and dialled Ryan’s number. My best friend would have to know about the date, of course.


	6. Chapter 6

  
“Honey, hurry up. We can’t be late, this is important.”  
  
“I’m coming mom, calm down.”  
  
For the past couple hours, mom had been rushing me to get ready. Robert had asked her to bring the whole family to a fancy dinner, because he had something important to share with us. She had immediately called up Kevin and asked him to come, and the three of us had spent too much time getting ready. I was tying my tie as she attempted to usher me out of my room, and I groaned with discontentment.  
  
“Why do I have to go?”  
  
“Robert wants the whole family there.”  
  
“It won’t be so bad, Nick,” Kevin told me, walking out the door.  
  
I followed Kevin out the door, and mom came slowly behind us. The two of us sat in the backseat together, alone, him looking generally uninterested and myself looking aggravated. Mom gave us a silent smile before starting the car, and the ride, as usual, was basically all quiet. The restaurant we were at this time was much fancier than even the previous one, and it surprised me to see even Joe with a tie when we arrived.  
  
“Nice tie.”  
  
He retorted, “Nice face.”  
  
“Touché.”  
  
He was referring to the frown I wore, basically saying I didn’t want to be there. Honestly, I did want to be there, with him, but not with our families around. It took all my strength not to take his hand as we entered the restaurant and found our table. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Kevin watching my every move, but I made sure not to give anything away. About fifteen minutes into dinner, the silence stopped.  
  
“Uh, Nick, I need to check something in the bathroom. Can you help?”  
  
“Sure, Joe.”  
  
Joe stood up, and I followed, the two of us walking off. Kevin’s eyes bore into the back of my head, I could feel it, but I ignored it. As soon as our families were out of sight, Joe grabbed my head, and we ran faster to the bathroom. Getting inside and closing the door, Joe shoved me up against it, and before his lips even captured mine, his hips pressed into me and I let out a loud moan.  
  
“Quiet, Nick. We don’t need to get caught.”  
  
His hands held my hips in place as he pushed against me, causing me to drop my head on the door, eliciting a slight bang. Joe not long after realized we were blocking the door, which would be suspicious to anyone who needed in the bathroom, so he grabbed my hand and dragged me to a stall. He locked the stall, but only just in time for me to push him against the stall door the same way he had done to me with the bathroom door.  
  
“Seems the tables have turned.”  
  
“Keep thinking that, Nick.”  
  
He attacked my mouth with his, and pulled my body against his. I hadn’t even realized entirely what was going on, but soon enough, I knew I had replaced him with my back against the stall door. Joe then tore his lips from mine, and attached them to my neck, causing me to gasp before letting out a throaty moan. He was smiling in his little bites, I could feel it, but I loved it. If we had anymore time together, we probably would have fucked right then and there.  
  
“Joe? Nick? I know you’re in here somewhere.”  
  
Shit. The reason why we didn’t go any further than making out, arousing each other, and me ending up with a dark love bite on my neck. Kevin walked in the bathroom. I could see his feet beneath the stall door, tapping his foot, and our tangled legs must have been obvious beneath the door. There was a knock on the door, and we stayed silent for a moment, hoping maybe that he’d go away, but obviously it didn’t work.  
  
“You guys, I know you’re in there.”  
  
“Go away, Kevin!”  
  
“I’d love to lecture you right now about how _not_ right this is...”  
  
“Fuck off.”  
  
“ _But_ Robert needs you guys back out there.”  
  
I sighed, as did Joe, and I turned to unlock the stall. Kevin glared at us momentarily as we stepped out, clearly seeing the brownish mark on my neck, and led us out of the bathroom. I continued to hold onto Joe’s hand until we were in view of our parents, and we both let go hesitantly. Kevin sat down, and I beside him, while Joe moved to the other side of the table where we had been seated before.  
  
“What too you guys so long?” mom asked.  
  
“Oh, sorry. Joe had a stain on his shirt, and well...we all know how tough stains are.”  
  
“Well, now that you’re back, we have an announcement.”  
  
I gave Kevin an inquisitive look, but he looked just as confused as me. Perhaps we hadn’t missed much if even my perfect older brother had no idea what was going on. Glancing across the table at Joe, I noticed he looked uninterested, but I knew very well that he was aching inside to hear the announcement. I sat in anticipation, as Robert stood up, gleaming down at my mom happily.  
  
“It’s only been a while, we know,” he began, “But there’s something we need to tell you all.”  
  
Standing beside him, mom continued, “We’re getting married.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“No! That’s not possible!”  
  
“You can’t get married, dad!”  
  
“Don’t do this too us!”  
  
“Good for you!”  
  
Both Joe and I glared at Kevin as he gave his positive congratulations, considering the both of us were angry with the idea. I mean, mom and Robert getting married? That was bad on so many levels. I would probably get to see dad less, no doubt, but that would also make Joe and I step-brothers. This bothered me because I was just starting to realize that maybe I more-than-liked him. Perhaps I even loved him.  
  
“Why aren’t you happy for me, Nick?”  
  
“Mom...you’re replacing dad...”  
  
“I’m not replacing your dad, Nick. I’m just moving on.”  
  
“Well, fuck...don’t!”  
  
“Nicholas, don’t you speak like that!”  
  
“Why the fuck not, mom? You’re ruining my life!”  
  
With that, I stood up and stalked away angrily. I had no idea where I was going, but as soon as I made it outside, without my coat I may add, I just walked down the street with my hands in my pants pockets. I couldn’t help then but cry, something I hadn’t done in a long time. Sure, I could get angry or upset, but I almost never cried for anything. Before I knew it, there was a hand grabbing me by the arm.  
  
“Nick, stop. Please, just calm down...please.”  
  
I’d know that voice anywhere. I did stop, and turned around to look at Joe’s face. His was stained just as much with tears as mine was, and I wondered what had happened after I left. Not caring much at the moment, I threw my arms around his waist, and cried into his shoulder as he held me in return. We stood for a few minutes like that, a few people staring as they drove by us.  
  
“It’s amazing how quick someone can fall in love.”  
  
“What was that, Joe?”  
  
“It’s just amazing, Nick. I...love you, and it hasn’t been long at all.”  
  
“I love you too.”  
  
“I wish our parents weren’t getting married.”  
  
“Yeah...”  
  
“Nick...I know this sounds a little out there, but...run away with me. Please?”  
  
His eyes were serious, far more serious than I had ever seen them. The love that shone in them was clearly evident, and his expression was not without care. He was nowhere near joking, nineteen year old Joe Mitchel wanted me, sixteen year old Nick _fucking_ Jonas, to run away with him. I wasn’t sure what to think, but at the time, there was only one thing on my mind. I didn’t want to lose Joe because of my mom.  
  
“Of course I will, Joe.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Where are we now?”  
  
It had been a day since Joe asked me to run away with him. We had gone back to the restaurant and apologized to our parents, making it seem like everything was okay. As soon as I got home, though, I pulled out the biggest bag I had and shoved it full of important belongings and clothes. When I knew that mom and Kevin were both asleep, I ran down to the entrance of the building and called Joe, who drove out to get me.  
  
“Um...I don’t know. I think we’re in New York.”  
  
“The state or the city?”  
  
“The state. New York City would probably be bigger than this.”  
  
After a few hours of us driving together, I’d fallen asleep, and hadn’t awoken for quite a bit. When I did finally wake up, the sun was out, so I knew it was daytime. New Jersey wasn’t far from New York, so I didn’t doubt Joe for a moment when he made the assumption. Of course, he should have been reading street signs to figure out where we were, but I knew he was distracted, since I was distracted as well.  
  
“What are they going to think?”  
  
“What do you mean, Joe?”  
  
“When my dad wakes up, or your mom and brother, and we’re both gone.”  
  
“Oh...I dunno, Kevin will probably rat us out.”  
  
“More reason not to return, then.”  
  
I didn’t answer them, but in my head, I agreed completely. Nobody would accept our relationship. Well, Ryan might, but I doubt my mom would change her mind just because Ryan said so. I made a mental note to call Ryan later on and tell him what was up. I looked out the window, and noticed that we were definitely in a city, but it seemed pretty small. Joe was watching around as he drove.  
  
“What are you looking for?”  
  
“A place for us to stay. I’m sure you’d prefer to sleep in a bed then my car.”  
  
Personally, I couldn’t complain much. As long as I was with him, it didn’t really matter where I was sleeping. I didn’t realize I was still so sleepy though, because moment later I felt myself passing out again. Joe noticed this, so he stopped at the nearest motel we passed by. I was sleep in his car as he went inside and got us a room, and when he returned, I knew I was glad that he’d found somewhere to stay after all.  
  
“You want to come inside, Nick?”  
  
“Yeah...will you sleep with me?”  
  
“Uh...right away? I mean...”  
  
“No, Joe. I mean, take a nap with me. Lay beside me as I sleep.”  
  
“Oh, of course.”  
  
He helped get my large bag out of the drunk, and the both of us entered the building and walked down the hall to the room Joe managed to get. It wasn’t a bad motel, definitely nicer than many out there. As soon as we entered the room, I threw myself down on the bed, laying on my back with my arms spread out. Moments later, Joe was climbing over me, and placed a soft kiss on my lips before moving to lay beside me.  
  
“You’ve changed so much since I met you.”  
  
“Really? How so?”  
  
“You’re...not a jerk, anymore. You’re really kind of sweet.”  
  
“That’s _because_ I met you, Nick.”  
  
I smiled to him, and closing my eyes, I smiled to myself as well. He put an arm around me and held me close, my head laying on his shoulder. Before I drifted off, I felt a little kiss placed on my forehead. I don’t know how long I had been sleeping, but it was while before anything disturbed me. Finally, I was awoken by Joe, who was whispering sweetly in my ear for me to wake up.  
  
“What’s the matter, Joe?”  
  
“Nothing. Ryan’s on the phone, he called your cell. Do you want to talk to him?”  
  
“Yeah, sure.”  
  
“Okay. Ryan?” he asked into my phone, “Yeah, he’ll talk. Here he is.”  
  
“Ryan?”  
  
 _“Nick! Oh my God, where are you? Your mom called and said you were missing!”_  
  
“I ran away. She’s getting married, Ry.”  
  
 _“That’s no reason to run away. Why is Joe with you? Why...oh.”_  
  
“Yeah, she’s marrying his dad, and...well, we don’t want to be parted, Ry!”  
  
 _“Does anyone know about this?”_  
  
“Kevin does.”  
  
 _“Then stay low for a while, because Kevin probably won’t tell, but he’ll go look for you.”_  
  
Ryan was absolutely right. Kevin wouldn’t rat me out unless he had absolutely no choice, so he’d likely try to find me himself first. He’d already tried calling my cell phone, apparently, but Joe ignored it and I was thankful. After the talk with Ryan, Robert also tried to call Joe on his iPhone, but Joe ignored him. Likely our parents were probably starting to realize that wherever we had gone, we were together.  
  
“Oh my God, Joe! I just thought of a great idea!”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“We can go stay with my dad! He’d probably be thrilled to help us.”  
  
“Where does your dad live?”  
  
“Right now he’s in DC, but he lives in New York City.”  
  
My dad tended to travel a lot for work. He didn’t make a lot of money, he was just a truck driver, but he enjoyed seeing different parts of the country. Considering I knew we were in New York state, no doubt we’d soon be able to find his place. In the city, I would recognize his apartment building instantly, since Kevin and I had visited plenty of times in many years. Dad would definitely have covered for Joe and me.  
  
“We can go to his place tomorrow then, okay? We paid for this room, might as well use it.”  
  
“You know...this situation can be kind of fun.”  
  
“Really, Nick? What kind of fun?”  
  
Joe’s eyebrow was raised but he wore a knowing smirk, and I could tell he knew exactly what I meant. I leaned over, trailing my hand down his chest lightly, causing him to moan slightly. His eyes were closed, and his body arched somewhat into my touch and my hand continued to trail down his body, stopping below the waist of his jeans. Lifting his button-down shirt up slightly, I undid the button on his jeans, and began with the zipper.  
  
“Oh, you know, Joe...hotel room, runaway couples...must I explain?”  
  
“Oh fuck, Nick.”  
  
“Do you want me to continue?”  
  
“Fuck...yes!”  
  
My hand was already in his jeans at that point, and I realized he wasn’t even wearing underwear. There was no doubt that he was growing hard, I could feel it quite well, and he let out a slightly louder moan as I slowly wrapped my hand around his length, pushing his jeans down partially with the other hand. As I began a slow but steady motion, I could hear him breathe in deep, short breaths.  
  
“You enjoying that, Joe?”  
  
He nodded, and I sped up my movements, causing a much more physical reaction from him. I could see his face so well, since we were still laying beside each other. Since my other hand was now free, I switched which hand held his hard on, and began to slide my finger down the inside of his thigh lightly. His body was jerking around, Joe seeming a little aggravated that he wasn’t doing anything, and I began to pump harder.  
  
“Was that good enough?”  
  
“I think it’s time you got something out of this now, too, Nick.”  
  
Only speaking once he’d recovered from spilling his seed, he didn’t even bother to put his dick away before pushing me down on my back, climbing over me. Pressing his body into me, he bit at my neck, and trailed light and wet kisses down my neck. I was gasping and moaning like crazy, feeling him growing hard again quickly as my hard-on pressed into his. He began to fumble with my button, his mouth still working on my skin.


	8. Chapter 8

“Come on, Nick. Wake up, we ought to get leaving soon.”  
  
I opened my eyes, at first forgetting where I was. Then it came to me. I was in a motel room in some small city in New York state after running away from home with my step-brother-to-be. Damn, that would be a mouthful. It was even weirder to think that Joe wasn’t about to just become my step-brother, but he was also my boyfriend. Sitting up, I noticed Joe standing on the other side of the small room, throwing the remainder of my stuff into my bag.  
  
“Just clean yourself up, Nick. I’ll take care of packing.”  
  
Nodding, I yawned, and looked around a moment. My head was spinning slightly, but it was surely just from all the confusion from the past days. Standing from the bed, I made my way over to the tiny bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. I really didn’t look all that great, my curls looked a mess, if that were possible, and even though I’d got tons of sleep, there were some intense bags under my eyes.  
  
“You look fine, Nicky.”  
  
“I look like shit, Joe. And _don’t_ call me Nicky.”  
  
“I think you look sexy regardless.”  
  
“I look like I haven’t slept in a week.”  
  
“But on the upside, who knows that the reason wasn’t for sex? Maybe you’re just tired from too much lovin’.”  
  
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter as he said that, and Joe came behind me, kissing my head a moment before looking in the mirror at us. We really did look good together, and there was no doubt that he had sex hair. We hadn’t had sex the previous night, as much as either of us wanted, but we had done enough to get the both of us squirming all over the bed, and I honestly pitied whoever had to clean those sheets.  
  
“Come on, let’s go.”  
  
“I’m coming, Joe. Just let me piss first.”  
  
Joe rolled his eyes, smiling nonetheless, as he left the bathroom. I made sure to try and piss as quickly as I could, and left the bathroom to find Joe leaning against the door with my bag in his hand. Seeing me, he opened up the door, and the both of us headed down the hall and exited the building. Joe stuffed my bag in the backseat this time, rather than the trunk, and joined me up front as soon as he was finished.  
  
“To NYC, then?”  
  
“Yeah. If dad’s not home, I have a key, and we can stay there until he gets there.”  
  
“Then what?”  
  
“We can still stay with him. I’m sure he’ll understand.”  
  
I wasn’t lying at all. My dad was very accepting of my sexuality, and when I used to stay with him sometimes, he would attempt to set me up on dates with his friends’ sons. Sometimes dad never even seemed like a father, but more like a brother. A better brother than Kevin. As Joe began driving us down the highway, my thoughts just drifted away, thinking about absolutely anything and everything.  
  
“Penny for your thoughts.”  
  
“Just thinking, Joe.”  
  
“About what?”  
  
“Everything. What we’re doing, what everyone else might be doing, what’s gonna happen...”  
  
“Who cares what they’re doing? As long as they don’t stop us.”  
  
“Can’t they accuse you of kidnapping or something?”  
  
“Not since you’re sixteen, Nick. You’re legally allowed to leave, you just can’t buy a place without the signature of your parents.”  
  
It seemed Joe knew a lot more about the law than I did. It made me wonder why he was only in the eleventh grade still, why he failed so many times. After listening to the guy talk all the time, I had concluded that he was certainly smart enough to have already graduated. Perhaps he’d been to stressed out? Maybe he was just lazy? Regardless, no matter what anyone else thought, I knew my Joe was a smart guy.  
  
“How long do you think it will take to get there?”  
  
“Another hour at least, probably more.”  
  
“Are we gonna stop and eat at all?”  
  
“Why? Are you hungry?”  
  
“A little bit.”  
  
“Tell you what. Next place we pass, we can stop for twenty minutes and get a bite.”  
  
I nodded in agreement, as it seemed very reasonable. I knew Joe just didn’t want us to get slowed down, because he wanted me to be as comfortable as possible, even if that meant speeding to dad’s house. I was a little thankful to have him care so much, but it honestly didn’t bother me if it took longer to get there. It wasn’t long until we reached a small McDonalds on the side of the road, and stopped there for a while.  
  
“It’s been a while since I’ve had fast food.”  
  
I laughed, “Really?”  
  
“Yeah, well, dad always goes on about how we can afford much better food.”  
  
Joe really was a rich guy. His dad didn’t only have this huge house, but until Joe came to my school, he’d been attending a private school. He had his own car as well, obviously, and a credit card with no limit. I hadn’t thought about it much, considering money wasn’t something I much cared about, but with Joe, we could basically go anywhere. Even as we headed back out on the road, my mind was filled with different thoughts.  
  
“We should be in the city in about twenty minutes.”  
  
I was pulled out of my thoughts as Joe said that, a little excited. It had been ages since I had been to New York City, considering dad was not often around to take Kevin and me in. Since Kevin started college, too, we never really had the time to go down. Dad was never interested in taking just one of us, because he never wanted it to seem as if he favoured one of us. If one went to visit him, the other had to as well.  
  
“Where about are we headed?”  
  
“The first right into the city, at the very end of that street, and then a left. It’s the first apartment building down there.”  
  
“Okay. You point it out to me anyway, just in case.”  
  
And as he had asked, I did point out the building to him when we got there. It was a very high building, a little rickety looking, and my dad lived on the twelfth floor. We parked the car and headed up, and as I had guessed, my dad wasn’t around. His apartment was very small, with two bedrooms, in which Kevin and I always had to share when we visited. Joe dropped my bag in the entrance and looked around.  
  
“It’s small.”  
  
“Yeah well, not everybody’s as wealthy as you.”  
  
“I never said I didn’t like it, Nick. As long as you’re here, I love it.”  
  
“You really mean that, Mr. Mitchel?”  
  
“Of course I do, Mr. Jonas.”  
  
I laughed at our lame attempt at calling each other by our last names. I picked up my bag and carried it to the small room Kevin and I would share. There were two cots in the room, and Joe came up with a great idea. We shoved the cots together, and decided we’d sleep on our new bed. First and foremost, though, I figured it would be a good idea to call Ryan and tell him what was up with us.  
  
 _“Hello?”_  
  
“Hey Ry, it’s Nick!”  
  
 _“Nick! Where are you guys?”_  
  
“My dad’s house. He’s not here, but Joe and I are gonna crash here a while.”  
  
 _“Do you have caller ID?”_  
  
“No, why?”  
  
 _“Kevin mentioned he was gonna ask your dad if he’s heard from you.”_  
  
I swore as he told me this, but inside, I wasn’t too frightened. Perhaps Kevin had already called and got no answer. Dad had his cell phone anyway, so Kevin could always call his cell, since it was always more likely to reach dad that way. Joe decided to take a quick shower as I talked to Ryan, and heard what was up. It was a Monday, and apparently people at school had wondered where we went, which made me laugh since they never really cared before.  
  
---


	9. Chapter 9

“Hey! Who the fuck is in my house?”  
  
My eyes snapped open when I heard the loud voice. It was coming from the entrance to the apartment, and I was scared at first. I hadn’t heard what the person said, but he sounded angry. I cuddled closer to Joe, who was still asleep, and attempted to hide my face in his chest. I was just in time, too, since the bedroom door opened at that point, and I could hear footsteps coming up behind me.  
  
“Nicholas, is that you?”  
  
I opened my eyes and turned around, looking up. My eyesight was at first a little blurry, since some bright light poured into the room behind the shadowed figure. The voice definitely seemed familiar. Joe’s arm was around my waist still, and even though I couldn’t yet see the face of the intruder, I knew he was looking at Joe. I suddenly remembered where I was, and everything came back as my eyesight began to adjust.  
  
“Dad?”  
  
“Nick, what are you doing here?”  
  
“It’s a long story.”  
  
“Who’s your boyfriend?”  
  
“That’s part of the story. Can we wait until morning to discuss this? I’m tired.”  
  
He nodded, and left the room, closing the door behind him. It had been about a week since we arrived in NYC, and that was the first time dad came home in the time we had been there. I didn’t know yet if he’d spoken to Kevin or not. As soon as morning came, both Joe and I went for showers – separate showers – before sitting in the living room on the couch, while dad sat across from us in an armchair.  
  
“So Nick, let’s start with who this is.”  
  
“Dad, this is Joe. He’s...my boyfriend.”  
  
“How old is he?”  
  
“Nineteen, but I promise you dad, there’s something there! We...”  
  
“Chill, I’m just curious. Why are you two here?”  
  
“Uh...mom’s getting married.”  
  
“That’s no reason to run away, Nick.”  
  
“She’s getting married to Joe’s dad...”  
  
Dad didn’t know what to say there, I could tell by looking at him. Regardless, though, he seemed to understand exactly what was going on. It’s not that I didn’t think he would, though, so I was ready to listen to whatever he had to say. I glanced to Joe for a moment, who looked a little unsure of this situation, so I grabbed his hand and held it tight. Dad seemed to notice this action, and smiled at us.  
  
“Well, I guess you guys can stay here a while.”  
  
“Thank you so much, dad!”  
  
“How long do you plan to stay, exactly?”  
  
“Uhh...”  
  
“Not long, sir,” Joe told him. “We’re getting a place of our own, soon.”  
  
“Is that so? Can you afford it?”  
  
I nodded, “Joe’s kinda...rich. If it didn’t take a while to buy a home, we’d have one already.”  
  
There was silence for a moment, before dad started to laugh. I knew exactly why he was laughing. Joe was rich and we were instead staying in his tiny apartment, sleeping on two cots that were pushed together. I leaned over on Joe as I noticed him beginning to relax, and he smiled down at me. I suppose dad felt this was moment not to be interrupted, because he then stood and entered the kitchen.  
  
“I told you my dad’s awesome.”  
  
Joe chuckled a bit and placed a kiss on my head. I leaned up to look at him, and placed a soft kiss on his lips. After I pulled back, he lunged back at me, giving me a much deeper kiss. Slowly, he pushed me down on the couch and pulled himself over me, and I snaked my hands around his waist, holding him closer. His hands began to move under my shirt, and I was moaning in his mouth as his cold fingers touched my skin.  
  
“Woah, boys! Seriously, I don’t hate what you’re doing, but move it to the bedroom?”  
  
Joe and I broke apart, and I looked at my dad, blushing feverously. It wasn’t that I was embarrassed, but neither of us really wanted a parent to see that, and I’m sure my dad didn’t want to see it either. Joe climbed off of me and stood, and I followed his lead. The two of us made our way to the bedroom, and closed the door behind us. As soon as the door was fully closed, Joe leaned in to kiss me, when my phone began to ring, and I flipped it open instantly.  
  
“Hey, Ryan! How are you?”  
  
 _“Nick?”_  
  
“Wait...Kevin? What are you doing on Ryan’s phone?”  
  
 _“Oh, I don’t know...looking for you! Where the Hell are you?”_  
  
“That’s not something I want to tell you.”  
  
 _“Come on, Nick! We’re worried about you.”_  
  
“I’m fine, Kev. Leave me alone.”  
  
Groaning, I closed my phone, and slammed it down slightly too loudly onto the dresser. Joe gave me a confused look, but I just shook my head, telling him silently that I didn’t want to talk about it. He rubbed my arm lightly with his hand as a sign of affection, and I smiled to him in appreciation. With his free hand, he touched my face lightly, cupping my cheek in his palm, before placing a sweet kiss on my lips.  
  
“I love you, Nick.”  
  
That was it. I pushed him against the door, a little loudly as I heard it rattle, but that didn’t matter. I attacked his mouth with mine, our tongues dancing together. I knew inside that I was basically trying to distract myself from stress, but I couldn’t deny how much I wanted it. My hands were fumbling with the button and zipper on his jeans, and he broke the kiss momentarily to pull my shirt over my head.  
  
“You’re so gorgeous.”  
  
“You’re even more gorgeous, Joe.”  
  
I began unbuttoning his shirt then, too, and we flung it off as soon as we could. He was unzipping my jeans, then he pushed me backwards on the bed. Pulling his own jeans off, he climbed back over me, sticking his hands in my pants. I moaned and his hand reached my erection, and I tried to remove my own jeans. Joe broke the kiss and shook his head, smirking in such a cute and lustful way.  
  
“No you don’t, Nick. That’s _my_ job.”  
  
Reclaiming my lips, he began to push my jeans down, discarding them over the side of the bed once he pulled them off. He then pushed his body into mine harder, causing me to moan. Our naked bodies were pressed together, and his hand was still on my erection. I moved my hands down to his ass, holding a cheek with each, and pulled him into me harder. He moaned then, and pulled away his lips roughly.  
  
“I can’t take it anymore, Nick. Are you ready?”  
  
“Definitely.”  
  
“You’re sure you want to do this?”  
  
“Please, Joe, I’ve wanted to do this since I met you.”  
  
That seemed to be enough for him, so he spread my legs slightly. I let go of him and moved my hands closer up to his hips, and caressed them softly as he pulled away slowly. I whimpered a little bit as he moved back, but when he began coating his fingers in saliva, I understood what he was doing. He tried as hard as he could to cover his dick in the saliva, before positioning himself below me, at my entrance.  
  
“You’re sure?”  
  
Again, I nodded, and he began to push slightly. I gasped a bit as he entered, pain going through me. I knew it would hurt, but I supposed it hurt more because we didn’t have proper lube. He had stopped when he saw pain in my face, but as soon as I pushed myself onto him a little more, he continued. My hands moved up to his shoulders, gripping them hard and nearly drawing blood as he pushed in farther.  
  
“You sure you’re okay?”  
  
I didn’t even answer him, but captured his mouth in a rough kiss. That must have been enough for him, because he quickly pushed himself into me as far as he could, having me yell out as he did so. At first, he assumed I was in pain, until I demanded more. Joe began to pump in and out of me as I continued to grip his shoulders, the both of us attempting to kiss each other as we moaned loudly.


	10. Chapter 10

“How often do you guys do that?”  
  
“Do what, dad?”  
  
I was playing stupid somewhat. I knew exactly what my dad was talking about, but I couldn’t bring myself to randomly admit to anything. It was a little awkward talking about it with a parent, regardless of how ‘brotherly’ said parent was toward me. Grabbing my toast as it popped from the toaster, dad just glared at me, but smiled along with it to show he wasn’t quite angry really.  
  
“I heard you yesterday morning in your room.”  
  
“Ohh...that.”  
  
“Yes, Nick. _That_.”  
  
“That was actually the first time we...y’know...went _all_ the way.”  
  
“I’m not gonna tell you how it’s illegal.”  
  
“Good.”  
  
“But I am going to ask that you be a little quieter next time?”  
  
I laughed, but blushed at the same time, and nodded to let him know I would try. The shower was running, I could hear it, and I wondered what Joe was doing in there. Of course he would be cleaning himself, but would it not be more sexy and arousing if he was perhaps doing something else as well? I tried to push the thought of out my mind as dad’s home phone rang, and I attempted to listen to him.  
  
“Hello? Kevin? Uh...no...haven’t seen him...tried his cell? I’m sure it’s fine...I miss you too.”  
  
There was no doubt about it. Kevin had called to ask if dad had seen me. I was relieved that dad lied to him, but I knew deep inside that my guilt was finally showing itself. I’d been gone just over a week, but everyone was still looking for me. I thought for a moment that perhaps Kevin didn’t actually care about me, but just cared about knowing, but I knew deep inside that it wasn’t true.  
  
“So what did Kevin want?”  
  
“He asked if I’d seen you.”  
  
“Dad, I know you don’t want to, so you don’t have to lie for me.”  
  
“You know, he is worried about you...”  
  
“I know, dad. I just don’t want him to force me to go home.”  
  
Dad nodded, knowing exactly what Kevin’s demeanour is like. Although he was worried, and perhaps even angry, he wouldn’t be too pleased if I stayed in New York with Joe. He would demand that I don’t. Only moments later, Joe emerged from the bathroom, his hair still damp and his clothes slightly wet from putting them back on while he wasn’t completely dried. I giggled, and he came and sat beside me at the small table.  
  
“What’s so funny?”  
  
“You’re cute, Joe.”  
  
“I know I’m cute, but that shouldn’t be so funny.”  
  
He was just joking, I could see it in his eyes. Smiling, I leaned in and gave him a small peck on the lips. Dad came over a minute later, and handed us each a cup of coffee, to which we were thankful. He also passed Kevin a plate of toast, just like the one I had finished. Slowly, Joe ate, and while he did that, I rubbed his thigh lightly with my hand. He let out a small moan at one point, in which my dad turned to look ay us.  
  
“You’re a beast Joe, but you’ve gotta control your sounds.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“We were heard yesterday.”  
  
“Oh, um...”  
  
“Don’t worry about it. Just kiss me now.”  
  
Joe complied, leaning in and kissing me. I deepened the kiss, and the both of us forgot that there was anyone else there. We forgot about our breakfast, dad, the coffee, and just instead were completely enveloped in each other. His hand, then behind my back, began to push us closer so that our chests were nearly touching, but the both of us snapped out of it when we heard a knocking on the table.  
  
“You guys, seriously? If you’re gonna go at it twenty-four hours a day, don’t even bother leaving the bedroom!”  
  
I laughed, “Sorry dad, you know, it’s just...”  
  
“I know, I know.”  
  
“We really are sorry.”  
  
“I know. How about you and Joe go out shopping today? Get your mind off of things.”  
  
It was definitely a good idea, and as soon as both Joe and I were dressed, we headed out the door. It was one of the first times we had really ever left dad’s apartment since arriving in the city, and I agreed that it would be good for the both of us to get out there. Dad gave us a little money to do some grocery shopping for him, even though Joe offered to pay. Regardless of Joe’s offer, dad insisted that he pay for groceries.  
  
“If I can’t pay for groceries, Nick, I’m gonna buy something for you.”  
  
“No, Joe. Really, you don’t have to.”  
  
“But I want to, especially after everything. You deserve it.”  
  
I absolutely loved this guy. I mean, it had been only a short time we even knew each other, but we just clicked. He knew it and I knew it, and already, we had barely been able to do anything without each other. Grocery shopping only took about a half an hour, and we raced from the Safeway over to the nearest mall quickly after that, where Joe insisted we go into a clothing store and buy some stuff.  
  
“You know you need some clothes, Nick. I’m happy to buy them for you.”  
  
It was true, I did need clothes, but I didn’t want to ask for any. Joe dragged me into the first clothes store we saw, and surprisingly, there were a few items in there I was interested in. Of course, I refused them when I saw prices, but Joe grabbed them anyway. After everything had been tried on, we went to the counter to pay for it, and Joe tossed his debit card on the counter. Only about a minute passed before he was addressed by the cashier.  
  
“I’m sorry, sir. Your card has been declined.”  
  
“There’s got to be some sort of mistake. I have loads on there.”  
  
“I’m sorry, I tried it a couple times already, sir, and there’s not enough.”  
  
“Are you sure?”  
  
“Positive, our machines are not malfunctioning.”  
  
Joe was absolutely embarrassed, I could tell as his face reddened, but I also knew he was angry. The two of us quickly left the store, speaking no words, and headed back out to the car. I had to try to calm Joe down, giving him a few soft kisses, since he was driving recklessly at first. As soon as Joe had calmed a bit, I tried talking to him, picking my words very carefully in case he were to get angry again.  
  
“What do you think happened?”  
  
“He fucking cut me off.”  
  
“Who?”  
  
“My dad! He cut me off because I took off and he doesn’t want me spending his money.”  
  
“It’s okay, Joe.”  
  
“No, it’s not! What are you gonna do about buying a home now?”  
I didn’t know what to tell him. It was pretty clear that we couldn’t buy our own home, since we basically had no money. I knew dad would probably let us stay at his place, as long as we’d either register in school or get jobs, but I desperately wanted to live with Joe. As we arrived at the apartment building, we took all the groceries out of the trunk, and walked silently up to the apartment with them, Joe still looking distraught. Inside, I could hear arguing.  
  
 _“I swear, son...nobody is here right now but me.”  
  
“I know they’re here! I saw Nick’s bag, I’m not stupid!”  
  
“They’re not here. They were...but they’re not.”_  
  
At that moment, I dreaded opening the door. It had only been a few hours since the phone call this morning, but no doubt that call was made on a cell phone, because the last person I wanted at dad’s house as arrived. Technically dad wasn’t lying, though, since Joe and I weren’t home. I bit my lip and turned to Joe, who was a little white from shock and everything that was going on, and slowly turned the knob.  
  
“Kevin! What the fucking _Hell_ do you think you’re doing here?”


	11. Chapter 11

“I should be asking you what _you’re_ doing here, Nick.”  
  
Joe and I placed the bags of groceries on the floor, and when I turned to face my lover, he was looking away shyly. I could tell what was going on, he was afraid to look at me while Kevin was watching us. It’s not like I could blame him, since Kevin looked a little angry. Dad came by and began to pick up the grocery bags off the floor, and I attempted to walk past Kevin to our room, but he grabbed my arm.  
  
“Seriously Nick, what the _Hell_ do you think you’re doing?”  
  
“Going to my room.”  
  
“No, why are you here? Why did you leave home?”  
  
“Because if we stayed, Joe and I could never be together!”  
  
“You shouldn’t be, anyway! He’s too old for you!”  
  
“Love knows no age, Kevin!”  
  
Before he had the chance to say anything more, I ripped my arm from his hand and trudged off to my room. Joe silently followed moments later, when he realized Kevin wasn’t going to bother talking to him, and he entered to see me sitting on the bed and facing the window. Sitting beside me, he put an arm around me, and kissed my cheek. I turned to him and smiled, leaning into his touch before looking out the window again.  
  
“He’s gonna try to take me home.”  
  
“I know, Nick.”  
  
“Please don’t let him. I don’t want to leave you.”  
  
“I don’t want to leave you, either.”  
  
I threw my arms around his waist, and we sat there for a while, just holding each other. After a little bit, Joe’s hand moved up and he began to run it through my hair. I heard the bedroom door creak open behind us, but I didn’t care, since I was feeling pleasant and content the way I was. The sun was shining outside, through a cloudy grey sky, and I was mesmerised by just watching everything outside the window.  
  
“Nick...can I talk to you for a moment?”  
  
I ignored the man talking to me from the doorway. Kevin could have gone and I wouldn’t care, because I was so angry at him. He didn’t seem quite so angry anymore, just by the tone of his voice, but I didn’t care much, and wanted to stay within Joe’s arms. I was aggravated when I felt Joe remove his arm, and I turned to see him looking at Kevin, who had come closer to us, hands on his hips as he waited.  
  
“Fine,” I grumbled.  
  
Standing up, I pecked Joe on the cheek before leaving the room with Kevin. He led me to the living room, which was empty, so I assumed maybe dad had gone out for a walk. Sitting on the couch, Kevin motioned for me to sit in the armchair, and I did so. I was not happy at all, and glared at him from the chair, but I was surprised to see his face had softened a bit. Running a hand through his hair, he looked away momentarily before turning back to me.  
  
“I’m sorry, Nick.”  
  
“Wait...what?”  
  
“I’m sorry. I can see that you and Joe really want to be together.”  
  
“We wouldn’t have left if we didn’t want it that badly.”  
  
“You just have to understand the seriousness of this.”  
  
“I do understand, but I really don’t care.”  
  
The tone of my voice had changed from aggravated to a basic explanation, so I was glad that Kevin didn’t seem angry anymore. It must have been when he walked in the bedroom, and saw us sitting together, that changed his mind. I knew the seriousness of the whole ordeal, though, considering I was underage and not in the custody of my legal guardian, but that didn’t really phase me at all.  
  
“You do realize I have to tell mom where you are.”  
  
Yeah, I did realize that. As long as mom didn’t make me go home, it didn’t matter much to me. She ought to have been told about me and Joe, what was going on between us, so it wouldn’t have surprised me much if she told Kevin not to bring me home. Perhaps she didn’t even know Kevin left to find me, since he wasn’t home much anyway. I nodded to my older brother anyway, and he just kept his gaze on me.  
  
“You know dad can’t afford to keep you here, right?”  
  
“Yeah...I guess...”  
  
“What was your plan? Where were you gonna go?”  
  
“We were gonna buy our own place...but Joe’s been cut off, so...”  
  
“You have _no_ money?”  
  
Again, I nodded to him. At this point, I knew shame was showing itself in my face, so I looked away. The last thing I wanted at the time was for Kevin to know we were basically broke, and that our plan had ultimately failed. We hadn’t made a backup plan in case ours failed, and we were suffering the consequences of it. Kevin then stood and came over to me, sitting on the arm of the chair, and patted my back.  
  
“It’s okay, Nick. You’ll figure something out. You always do.”  
  
“Are you sure?”  
  
“Positive. You can be immature sometimes, but you’re beyond your years, brother.”  
  
I looked up at Kevin and smiled, because I knew it was true. Although I could be ultimately immature from time to time, I knew how to stand my own when I absolutely needed to. He held his arms open slightly, and I welcome his hug, as it was the first one we’d shared in years. Standing moments later, he smiled as I walked off back toward our room, or rather, mine and Joe’s room. Kevin would no doubt be staying the night in the very least.  
  
“Hey Joe?”  
  
I stepped in the room and giggled when I saw my boyfriend asleep on the bed. He must have been tired, as he was right out, sprawled all over the bed. A thought suddenly came to my mind, and I approached him slowly, climbing onto his sleeping body and straddled his hips. Leaning in close and pressing a kiss to his lips, his eyes fluttered open, and he smiled. Reaching up and grabbing my hips, he held me in place.  
  
“How long have we been this way?”  
  
“Oh, hours Joey. I thought we could have a quick fuck while you were sleeping.”  
  
“And the truth?”  
  
“Only about a minute, I swear.”  
  
We were smiling back and forth toward each other, and soon his eyes seemed to cloud over with lust. I couldn’t blame him, from the position we were in, so I leaned in again to kiss him. This time, Joe put his arm around my waist and pulled my body down so that I was pressed against him. I was growing hard fast, and I could feel he was as well. Within moments our kisses became sloppy, but we were soon interrupted, as nearly always.  
  
“Please tell me we’re _not_ sharing a room tonight.”  
  
I laughed when I looked up to see Kevin in the doorway, looking a little flustered and a little frightened. Inside, he must have been thankful that he had only seen that much, because I assumed he knew we’d done s much more. I rolled off of Joe, and sat up beside him, while he remained down on the bed. Raising an eyebrow at Kevin, I smirked, and decided this could become fun for me.  
  
“And what if we are?”  
  
“Um...there’s no extra bed, since you’re using both.”  
  
“You could sleep with us.”  
  
“No thank you!”  
  
“Come on...you can trust us...”  
  
“Trust you not to touch me? Yes. Trust you not to fuck while beside me? No fucking way.”  
  
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter when Kevin left the room, shutting the door behind him. I looked down at Joe, who was also laughing. I pressed a kiss to his lips before standing up, ushering him to follow. When I had been in the living room, I noticed the groceries were still all over the kitchen counters and small dinner table, so I figured Joe and I could help out by putting them all away for dad.  
  
“You guys need to calm yourselves sometime.”  
  
The both of us chuckled as Kevin said that. He hadn’t even seen us enter the kitchen, but he could likely have heard us from the living room. As I grabbed a couple boxes of cereal and reached up to put them in a cupboard, Joe snaked his arms around my waist, and began to nibble my neck from behind. I moaned, but my moan was quickly stifled by Kevin’s loud cough, indicating that he had indeed heard us.


	12. Chapter 12

“Nicholas! What _were_ you thinking?”  
  
I sighed and stared ahead while I sat on dad’s couch. Mom had arrived, after the night Kevin spent over, he called mom to tell her that I was okay. Of course, she insisted she should have known where I was, and as soon as Kevin told her, she came on her way. Could you imagine my embarrassment when she entered the apartment just in time to hear me moaning out Joe’s name loudly.  
  
“I was thinking that I wanted to get away.”  
  
“When you have a problem, you _don’t_ just run away from it!”  
  
“How should I have solved it, then?”  
  
“You could have talked to me about it!”  
  
“Yes, mom, because I’m sure you’d allow me to pursue a sexual relationship with my nineteen year old step-brother!”  
  
The sarcasm dripping from my voice was unbelievable, it could probably not go unnoticed by anyone. My mother was silent a while, and I knew very well that I was right. She wouldn’t have told me I could be with Joe, and she knew that. Regardless what had happened, she and Robert were still engaged, and he refused to come. Joe had officially been cut off and cut out of the will, apparently, and basically disowned.  
  
“Honey, if you had just...”  
  
“No, mom. You know you would have said no.”  
  
Again, she was silent. I had hit her right on the spot, and she knew it. Aside to us, in the kitchen, I could hear dishes being clattered around, and I knew Joe and Kevin were making dinner, even without looking. Within the one night, the two had become good friends, but of course, not without Kevin’s protective brotherly threat first. I could see mom trying to think, and in the kitchen, I could tell that the older two boys were listening.  
  
“If you would have...”  
  
“No, mom. You know as well as I do.”  
  
“It’s not right, Nick. He’s an adult and you’re a child, and you’re soon to be related!”  
  
“It’s not like we grew up together.”  
  
“He makes a point!” Kevin called from the kitchen.  
  
“Yes, I know you didn’t grow up together, but the fact is, you will from now on.”  
  
“We would regardless if we were dating or not.”  
  
That was true. If we were just step-brothers, we’d live in the same house and get to know each other. It wouldn’t be much different from being a couple, not at all, especially at our age. The conversation was probably awkward for Joe to listen to. The thought came to me then that I might as well make it fun for his ears. Smirking to myself, the look on my face going unnoticed by mom, I sat up a little straighter.  
  
“Mom, what would you say if I was pregnant?”  
  
“Uh...um...what?”  
  
“Pregnant.”  
  
“Guys can’t get pregnant, Nicholas. Even you know that.”  
  
“Who says I’m a guy anymore?”  
  
Her eyes widened and I bit back the urge to burst out into laughter. Turning my head very slightly to the left, I could see the amusement on the other boys’ faces. Joe looked a little frightened, yet I knew that he knew I wasn’t serious. Kevin, on the other hand, knew me all too well. Of course, I could have gotten a sex change in the time I was gone, and that’s probably what scared mom the most.  
  
“You...you’re not...you...”  
  
“Yes mom, I’m a woman.”  
  
Although I could hold back, my brother couldn’t anymore, and I could hear laughter from the kitchen. Joe followed his lead, and then I did as well. Mom looked so incredibly confused, and it made me laugh even more. When she realized why we were laughing, she glared at me. The glare was so intense, but I couldn’t stop laughing at first. When I finally calmed down, I gulped, and looked at the floor.  
  
“That was not funny, Nicholas!”  
  
“I thought it was.”  
  
“Do you really think I want to believe my son is a woman?”  
  
“Not really, but Kev and Joe enjoyed it.”  
  
“Nick...I don’t know what to say...you’ve pushed me to the edge.”  
“Then get rid of me.”  
  
I was quite serious about it. I knew my mom wanted to get rid of me, and personally, I wanted to be gone. Joe had been disowned, and if my mom did the same to me, then we could be together. Of course, the idea of it wasn’t the greatest, because I mean, who wants to feel they’ve been disowned from their family? I stood by what I said, though, and awaited my mom’s reply.  
  
“I can’t do that, honey.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“Legally, until you turn eighteen, you are mine.”  
  
“You’re in love with Robert, mom. Don’t tell me that if you were younger, you wouldn’t defy your mother just to be with him.”  
  
The point I made then was a good one. Mom bit her lip, and I knew she was considering it. When you’re in love, no obstacles can stop you from getting what you want if you want it enough. If mom truly loved Robert, she couldn’t tell me that me and Joe couldn’t be together, just because she’d know how love feels. A smile crept to my face, since I was fairly sure I was winning the argument.  
  
“I’m sorry, Nick. I can’t let you and Joe be together.”  
  
“ _Why_ not?”  
  
“It’s just not right.”  
  
“It’s love! Love is always right, mom! You’d do this for Robert!”  
  
“No , I wouldn’t.”  
  
“Then you don’t love him very much, obviously!”  
  
When my mom was completely silent, I almost regretted saying it, but I couldn’t bring myself to take it back. She didn’t even love Robert. Why was she marrying him then? Sex? Money? Fear of staying alone? I shook my head and just stood, walking out of the room and leaving my mom sitting there. As soon as he noticed me walking out, Joe told Kevin he’d be back, and followed me to our bedroom.  
  
“She doesn’t even love your dad.”  
  
He didn’t at all seem shocked by the news, as if it was something he’d already figured out. Of course he had, she had met Joe plenty more times than I had before she introduced us, and he probably observed her behaviour. I was becoming slightly distraught, so Joe wrapped his arms around me and held me close. I slipped my arms around his waist and locked my hands behind him, making sure not to let him go.  
  
“Love is a complicated thing, Nick. Some people think they’re in love...”  
  
“Are you saying...?”  
  
“No! No babe, I love you so much.”  
  
“I love you too.”  
  
“Your mom just probably thought she loved Robert, but discovered she doesn’t.”  
  
I nodded and continued to hold my boyfriend close, smiling into his neck before biting on it. I’d been given enough hickeys by him, I felt it was time I got some revenge. He let out a load moan as I sucked, but I instantly moved his neck to his mouth, hoping that my mom hadn’t heard us. It wasn’t that I was embarrassed or anything, but I knew my mom was probably already mad at me, without her thinking that we’re having sex while she was around.  
  
“Let’s go help Kevin with dinner.”  
  
Joe held my hand as we parted and lead me out of the bedroom. As we walked into the kitchen, we got an all-knowing smirk from my older brother. I looked to the living room, where mom looked very uncomfortable, but it seemed as if she was trying to forget by watching TV. We were making spaghetti for dinner, and it seemed Kevin had already got everything basically ready, so Joe and I just watched and stirred it.  
  
“You’re stirring it wrong.”  
  
“Oh, is that so? Well then, Joe, why don’t you show me how since you’re _so_ perfect?”


End file.
